Pressured Layers
by Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: In this strange, isolated world Pearl finds a kindred spirit.


It was unexpected, this sterilized, long hallway. Pearl's thoughts had been ablaze, swarming like flecks of ashes, and in her pacing she'd been swept away by the warp pad to this place. Now the thoughts disintegrated, worries about how a half-human half-gem would grow, the human concept of money or how there wasn't enough of it for this makeshift family, and of course the secret that tried to crawl up Pearl's throat in these harried times. It was a blessing to be preoccupied with this.

She stepped off cautiously, her hand at her forehead. Pearl heard footsteps and tensed.

A human girl came around from a corner at the end of the hallway and increased her pace when she saw Pearl. She fixed her uniform before smiling widely. The tips of her teeth looked sharp, like a wolf.

"Hello!" she said. "You're a new arrival, yeah?"

"Arrival," Pearl repeated. "What is this place?"

"It's a place that you're called to even if you don't realize," the girl explained. "It's like a support group, only for you. Lots of others like you."

Pearl must've looked pensive (A bitter thought that she didn't want to play puppet again was drowned by guilt) because the uniformed girl added, "But if you don't want to be here you don't have to; if you want you can leave and we'll destroy the warp pad."

Pearl reflected on her guilt and reasoned that having a secret that was wholly hers was too tantalizing to reject.

"No, no need," Pearl said.

"Then follow me, please."

Pearl was lead to a small room with chairs, the walls and floor tiles the same pure white. There was a shoddy banner on the back wall, with block letters that spelled, "Welcome!" Pearl sat down in one of the chairs.

Over a period of time humans came by their own means and the uniformed girl started a conversation, as an introduction to get the other humans to talk about their stress and problems.

Pearl sat up, poised, and listened. Compared to the vastness of the universe, human stories were quaint but it was good to listen all the same.

As Pearl listened, she noticed the human girl next to her. This girl had messy braids, tied with purple ribbons, and she was looking upwards with an expression of hope that almost hurt to see. In a way, it was comforting to see that the remnants of the reason for this rebellion lived on, and could find hope.

Pearl said nothing at this meeting but when it was over and everyone filed out, she thought that it was what she needed.

In time, the memory of that place was buried under responsibilities, and it wasn't until the house was empty except for her and Amethyst did Pearl find herself there again.

It startled her even in her teary state and she almost stumbled off the warp pad. She dragged herself to that room and found it sparse.

The ribbon girl was there, but her hair was freed from the braids. She didn't look like she aged a day, but her eyes were empty, a face that carried many years of pain. Pearl felt the gnawing pain grow worse.

She couldn't concentrate on the few stories and when there was an invitation to speak she shivered.

"I've ruined everything," Pearl whispered and nothing more.

She would've spoken about Garnet, Saryndox, everything, but the words were jammed in her throat and she wouldn't have been able to voice anything coherent.

Pearl wasn't pressured to say anything more. When she left for home, she found Amethyst by the warp pad, waiting for her.

This time was purely an accident. It was late, they'd gotten back from the trip in the countryside and Pearl was itching to clean up the luggage. Instead she found herself here again and after weighing her option she decided to visit that room.

It was empty except for the ribbons girl. Or perhaps ribbon girl, as there was a strikingly red ribbon tied into her hair. There was not as much tension in her face and Pearl offered a smile.

"I like your ribbon."

The ribbon girl nodded. "A dear friend gave it to me."

She smiled briefly, wistfully, and Pearl sat down beside her.

"You've never spoken here before."

"Neither have you."

"Ah," Pearl replied. "I did, once. But that may have been a long while for you."

Moving on the conversation she said, "I'm Pearl. And you are?"

"Homura."

"So you found yourself here?"

Homura nodded. "My time shield. But I don't think I'll need it any longer."

"Oh? But that sounds so useful," Pearl said. "Perhaps I could have it? We may need it."

"No."

Pearl smiled awkwardly at the blunt response. "So, why don't you need it anymore?"

"My dear friend is gone now," Homura said. Her breath hitched.

"I'm sorry," Pearl said, tentatively. "That must be hard for you."

Homura's hands curled into fists. "She became a goddess, all on her own. She's going to save all of us, but that's such a burden! It's not what she would've wanted. It's not what I want."

Pearl blinked, opened her mouth and closed it; she chose her words carefully.

"Sometimes, humans do things that seem weird but there's always a reason, even if it isn't obvious."

"I know that!" Homura snapped. "But this wasn't the promise I made! I was supposed to protect her but I was too weak to even do that!"

A raw sob tore through her throat, like decades of sorrow broke through and Pearl looked on helplessly.

"Here, here," she said, patting the girl's back, gingerly.

"You are so bad at this," Homura roughly replied.

"I admit that I am… not the best for these types of situations," Pearl said, in an attempt to calm her down. Agreement was a good calming technique for humans.

"I've never seen you age, and I know it's been a lot longer than what your appearance shows," Pearl continued. "So you must've been protecting this girl for a long time. And she's made a choice that doesn't include you and it must hurt."

Homura nodded, and she rubbed at her reddish eyes.

"But she's already made her choice and even though it goes completely against what you've been programmed to do," Pearl said. "You've still got yourself. And you've got to stand on your own."

It was silent, with only a few of Homura's lingering sniffles.

"Or at least that's how it is for humans. I think."

"I would've given you my time shield," Homura said after a while, "If the useless thing didn't _talk_ sometimes."

Pearl laughed. "Oh, you would have hated Homeworld's machines! Everything spoke to you because _everyone_ needed you!"

Pearl began imitating the various workers that would've needed her, "Pearl, this needs to be clean," "Pearl, carry this," "Pearl, take care of this, now," and Homura's smile became wider at every anecdote, small bursts of laughter escaping her throat. Pearl was reminded again that this rebellion was all worth it to save this planet and its inhabitants.

**A/N: Originally posted on AO3 on May 22 2018**

**So when the true identity of Pink Diamond was revealed I basically threw a bunch of texts to my friend that does not watch Steven Universe (because I wasn't sure if my friends who do watch the show had seen it) and came to the conclusion that Pearl and Homura are pretty similar:**

**1.) Sadsbian  
2.) Stress  
3.) All knowing but cannot say  
4.) World could end in a colossal disaster (Cluster, Walpurgisnacht)  
5.) Gives up everything for a very powerful, pink haired girl/woman  
6.) Pink haired girl/woman leaves on her own terms, which is met with grief and misunderstanding  
7.) Pink haired girl's very existence and in a sense her identity is a secret, pink haired woman's true identity is a secret  
8.) Monsters are fallen friends/other girls  
9.) Almost killed somebody but was only an illusion (Mami, Peridot)  
10.) Unaffected by time/immortal  
11.) Huge colony of enemy aliens that operate on the total loss of individuality  
12.) A boy is their only connection to said pink haired girl/woman (Steven, Rose's son and Tatsuya, Madoka's little brother)**

**A baker's dozen worth of comparisons.**


End file.
